Folding-machine.



wo. uuuynuu. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

A. BARUGH. v

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.16,1906.

i'nvenior UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed. April 16, 1906. Serial No. 311,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrnoNs BARUOH, a citizen of Hamburg, and residentof No. 19 Marschnerstrasse, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved paper folding machine to beem ployed in the production of packages of paper of which eachindividual sheet is folded at the center and interlocks with the twoadjoining and similarly folded sheets.

Special objects of my invention are to simplify and cheapen theconstruction and to render more efficient serviceable and durable inoperation devices of the kind referred to.

lVith these ends in view the invention consists in the novelcombination, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fullyhereinafter explained, shown in the accompanying drawings and thenspecifically set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a cross section throughthe machine. Fig. 2 represents a cross section, similar to Fig. 1, butat a different stage of the working operations.

In carrying into practice my invention I employ two cylinders c and 0each being fitted to act alternately as a grippingand foldinginstrument.The two cylinders c and 0 correspond in diameter and they are driven byany known means (not shown in the drawing) at uniform speed but inopposite directions as indicated by the arrows. The horizontal axles ofthe cylinders c and c, are arranged in parallelism at like elevationsand at such distances apart, so as to bring the peripheral surfaces ofthe cylinders nearly in touch with each other.

Each cylinder carries at points diametrically opposite two tuckingblades or folding knives (Z and (1 respectively. Intermediate betweenthe folding knives and equidistant from the latter are provided recessesin the cylinder shells, which house the gripping members to be describedin detail later on.

The two cylinders c and c are arranged with their folding and grippingmembers in opposition, that is to say a knife of one cylinder and arecess of the second cylinder correspond and co-act, when crossing theline joining the axes of said cylinders.

The gripping members consist of rotary jaws e ang keyed on axles g and 9respectively. These axles g and g are journaled in the cylinders c and 0parallel with the rotary axis of the latter and they are fittedexternally with crank arms h and h Anti-friction rollers 13 and i at thefree extremities of the crank arms 7L and hi move in stationary cams 7cand k I will now proceed to describe the operation of my hereinbeforedescribed machine The paper to be folded by the hereinbefore describedmachine is previously cut into sheets of uniform lengths, each sheetbeing destined to be folded at its center portion in passing themachine. According to my invention two sheets are supplied to themachine at a time, one sheet overlapping the other by half its length inthe manner indicated in the drawings. Said sheets passing betweenendless conveyor bands 6 running over guide rollers a, are deliveredbetween the cylinders c and 0 The sheets in their length andjuxtaposition are matched with the knives and gripping members of thecylinders c and c in such a way, that the folding knives d and (Z cometo bear upon or between the ends of two sheets before getting at thecenter portion of the adjacent or back sheet, as clearly visible in Fig.2, in which the center portion of the back sheet and the two ends of thefront sheets are being carried with the knife blade 61 into the recessof the cylinder 0 so as to be folded and retained therein under theaction of the rotary gripping mem ber 6 which presses in the directionof the abutment face On the further rotation of the cylinders 0 and cthe folding knife (1 is retracted from the recess, the folded sheet andwith same the two ends of the front sheets being still held in therecess by the pressure of the gripping member 6 The folded paper sheetsare thus carried around with the cylinder 0 and are liberated from thegripping member 6 by the agency of the cam and rotary crank arm openingthe jaw,lz at the proper moment for automatically stapling the foldedsheets in Zig-zag fashion as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. After thisfolding action of the knife d, the knife (1 of the cylinder 0 performsits work and the folded sheets are carried with the cylinder 0 in asimilar manner but in opposite direction as will be readily understoodwithout further description.

The alternate action of the folding knives and of the gripping membersmatched therewith has been previously suggested in single paper foldingmachines and in consequence no special claim is laid to thisconstruction, the essence of the invention consisting in the adaptationof such a mechanism for the production of packages of folded paper, ofwhich each sheet is folded at the center and interlocks with the twoneighboring sheets, these packages of zig-zagwise interlocking centrallyfolded sheets serving for toilet purposes in the Well known way.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form orposition without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention,and I therefore reserve the right to make all such modifications as areincluded within the scope of the following claims, or of mechanicalequivalents to the structure set forth.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a folding machine of the class described, the combination witha pair of cylinders provided with appliances for folding the papersupplied in alternate directions, comprising folding blades and foldingjaws coacting therewith; of an oscillatory folding member forming partof the folding jaws, means for actuating said folding member in such amanner that the jaw is opened previous to the entrance of the foldingblade and is closed on the retreat of the latter, thereby folding thesheets and simultaneously looking same reliably with the respectivecylinder until the proper moment for delivery, and of means forsupplying to the folding blades several sheets at a time, said sheets intheir length and juxtaposition being matched with the blades in such away, that the blades come to bear alternately in opposite directionsupon and between the ends of two sheets before getting at the centerportion of the adjacent or back sheet, substantially as described andshown.

2. A folding machine comprising two cyl inders of equal diameters anddriven at uniform speed in opposite directions, folding blades andrecesses arranged alternately at the circumference of the two cylindersand adapted to meet and engage at each revolution of the cylinders, anoscillatory folding member in each of the aforesaid recesses, cams foractuating the oscillatory folding members so as to open the recessesprevious to the entrance of the folding blades and to close same on theretreat of the latter, there by folding the sheets and simultaneouslylocking same reliably with the respective cylinder until the propermoment for delivery arrives, and means for supplying to the foldingblades several sheets at a time, said sheets in their length andjuxtaposition being matched with the blades in such a way, that theblades come to bear alternately in opposite directions upon and betweenthe ends of two sheets before getting at the center portion of theadjacent or back sheet, substantially as described and shown.

3. Afolding machine comprising two cylinders of equal diameters anddriven at uniform speed in opposite directions, folding blades andrecesses arranged alternately at the circumference of the two cylindersand adapted to meet and engage at each revolution of the cylinders, anoscillatory folding member in each of the aforesaid recesses, acam-operated crank arm on the axle of each oscillatory folding memberfor actuating the oscillatory folding members so as to open the recessesprevious to the entrance of the folding blades and to close same on theretreat of the latter, thereby folding the sheets and simultaneouslylocking same reliably with the respective cylinder until the propermoment for delivery and means for supplying to the folding bladesseveral sheets at a time, said sheets in their length and juxtapositionbeing matched with the blades in such a way, that the blades come tobear alternately in opposite directions upon and between the ends of twosheets before getting at the center portion of the adjacent or backsheet, substantially as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 3rd day of April1906, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHONS BARUCI-I.

Witnesses:

Or'ro- WV. I-IELLMRICH, IDA C. I-IAFERMANN.

